ICC rankings: India steady as top ODI team, Kohli no. 2 in batsmen

India retained the number one spot in the latest Reliance ODI team rankings while Virat Kohli maintained the number two position with skipper MS Dhoni static at the seventh place in the batting chart

Dubai: India retained the number one spot in the latest Reliance ODI team rankings while Virat Kohli maintained the number two position with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni static at the seventh place in the batting chart released here.

Meanwhile, following yesterday's third ODI in Canberra in which Australia defeated South Africa by 73 runs, George Bailey's charges have leapfrogged into second place on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings and are just two points adrift of leader and 2011 World Cup champion India who have 117 points.

Virat Kohli. Pic/ Suresh K.K.

If Australia win the two remaining ODIs, they will move into first place on 117 points, edging out India by one-fifth of a ratings point. A Proteas victory tomorrow and then on Sunday would see South Africa return to second place, a point adrift of India and Australia drop to third. Kohli is at second place in batting with 862 points, behind South Africa's A B de Villiers (888), and ahead of another Protea Hashim Amla (845). Indian captain Dhoni remains constant at seventh with 738 points.

Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the best-placed Indian at eighth with 641 points in the bowling chart topped by suspended Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. Another suspended spinner, West Indian Sunil Narine, is at second followed South Africa pace spearhead Dale Steyn. No Indian features among the top 3 allrounders in world cricket at the moment.

Meanwhile, in the team rankings, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have the opportunity to gain vital rankings points as they go head to head in five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) starting tomorrow in Chittagong. Ninth-placed Bangladesh currently hold an 11-point lead over Elton Chigumbura's charges, and can further increase their lead while also reducing the gap with New Zealand and West Indies, who lie level on 96 points.

A 5-nil series win for Bangladesh would open up a 22- point gap over Zimbabwe, while a 4-1 scoreline would lead to a lead of 17 points. A 3-2 series win would see the hosts retain a nine-point advantage.

Zimbabwe will be eyeing a move up the rankings, as a 5-0 series win would see them leapfrog Bangladesh into ninth position, six points clear. In the event of a 4-1 series win, the two sides would be level on 63 points, with the host holding a fractional advantage.